ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · rush · tear · hide · mine · game · saw · temple

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tear — to rip
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — wild animals
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — for digging
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com